Located at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, the Shrine of Saint John Berchmans sits on the site of the 1866 miraculous cure of a Religious of the Sacred Heart. As a novice, Mary Wilson was sent to Grand Coteau in the hopes that a milder climate would improve her poor health. However, her health continued to deteriorate, and she was confined to the infirmary the month after her arrival. Hopeful, yet anticipating Mary’s death any day, the religious offered a novena to Blessed John Berchmans. Mary’s testimony describes an apparition of John Berchmans followed by immediate relief from her pain and her subsequent recovery. The Catholic Church investigated this cure, and it was used in the canonization process of Saint John Berchmans in 1888. The infirmary, where this miracle occurred, is now the Shrine of Saint John Berchmans, a peaceful place of devotion and pilgrimage.

While on campus, visit Le Petit Musée, a museum dedicated to the history of the Academy of the Sacred Heart.  Founded in 1821, under the direction of Saint Philippine Duchesne, the Academy has remained in continuous operation through fire, epidemic, and war.

Founded in 1837, St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana is the site of the first Jesuit College in the South. Today, it functions as a Jesuit seminary and spirituality center. The massive brick structure was built in 1909 to replace the original, which was destroyed by fire. The extensive grounds include the dairy barn, another Grand Coteau landmark, which was used when the Jesuit College was a fully sustainable complex.

The Jesuit Spirituality Center offers a variety of retreats and workshops for men and women that focus on different spiritual practices. Events are available on the 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 30th of each month by reservation only. You can get a list of events on their website, JesuitSpiritualityCenter.org.

The grounds of the center are private and only available to registered guests or by appointment.

This magnificent, predominately wooden structure designed by New Orleans architect, James Freret, is architecturally the finest gem in the Grand Coteau crown. Following the approval of the plans by Pope Pius IX, the first cornerstone of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo was blessed and placed on March 19, 1879. The rear belfry was a significant addition to the church in 1886. Its second empire style with a mansard roof is rare and possibly unique among churches in the United States. It houses a 3,104-pound bell, still rung today. The church has a superb collection of religious art, paintings, and statues.

For a guided tour, contact the church to schedule an appointment with Bonnie Barry. Bonnie is a local historian, photographer, and author of the book, For the Greater Honor & Glory of God. Most fascinating is her knowledge of the church’s thirty-two original paintings, including the fourteen Mysteries of the Rosary, and the artist responsible for several pieces, Mr. Erasmus Humbrecht. Guided tours of the church and cemetery are also offered every October during the Sweet Dough Pie Festival!